One-Day Mataram

Rahul Dravid is obviously trying to put up a brave face when he talks about fast, bouncy pitches being well suited for stroke-making. It's obviously a ploy to instill confidence in his top order batsmen who have had a wretched time on home pitches. But at the same time, he should take it easy. Repeating the same sentiment in every interview shows a sense of bravado that tries to hide the fear of balls climbing into the rib-cage or whizzing past the nose.

And Greg Chappell and Rahul Dravid should stop making a big issue of World Cup preparations. Each tour/series is important in its own right and should not be seen purely as means to prepare for the World Cup. Just treat each tour... each match... as equally important as the World Cup. Only then will there be any motivation to actually win as a team, rather than play out matches as glorified net practice sessions! And with each win will come confidence and form. After all, nothing, I repeat, nothing succeeds like success!